


Ipu

by Triscribe



Series: What-If Star Wars AUs [3]
Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Padmé Amidala Lives, Past Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:40:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24874747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Triscribe/pseuds/Triscribe
Summary: Concern growing into fear, Padme glanced between the three of them. “I don’t understand - I always thought ‘Ipu’ was a, an imaginary friend the twins made up.”“If I may, Mistress,” Threepio said, “Ipu is the Amatakka word for Father.”Father.Anakin.Vader.
Series: What-If Star Wars AUs [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1788598
Comments: 10
Kudos: 353





	Ipu

**Author's Note:**

> As always, the amazing Fialleril of here and tumblr is responsible for Amatakka, and while I'm only borrowing the one word for this fic I still want to give credit where credit is due.

"Mama," a little voice whispered by her ear. Padme stirred. _"Mama."_

"Yes, Luke," she murmured back, only half awake.

"Ipu's comin'."

“That’s nice sweetheart.” Finally prying her eyes open, Padme squinted in the faint light coming through her windows. Dawn, then, or just barely after. “Are you going to play with him once he arrives?”

Her six year old son nodded seriously. “He gets sad a lot, so me ‘n Leia gotta cheer him up.”

“That’s good, Luke. Now, I need to get ready for the day - can you and your sister see if anyone’s up to fix breakfast?”

Grinning at being given a mission, the boy rolled off of her bed, landing on the floor with barely a thump. He then hopped out of the room, and Padme took a deep breath. “Threepio,” she called. “Elenee. I trust you both recharged well?”

Across the room, her protocol and medical droids woke up, photoreceptors coming alight at her words. “Of course, Mistress,” Threepio replied promptly, disconnecting from his charging station in order to shuffle closer. “And yourself?”

Padme offered him a thin smile. “As well as ever, I suppose.”

“Would you like a bath this morning, Mistress?” Elenee asked, approaching her bedside as well.

“Not just yet, I think - Luke is already up and awake, and I expect he and Leia will be in here shortly with breakfast. If you could call someone to help get me presentable?”

“Of course, of course.”

Soon enough, Sabe and Eirtae arrived, brought by Elenee’s summons. They raised the upper half of Padme’s bed to get her into a seated position, supported by pillows on either side, and swiftly set about changing her sleep shirt into a blouse along with combing and braiding her hair.

As expected, the twins arrived back right around the time they finished, carefully walking sideways with a heavily loaded breakfast tray between them. Padme couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “Goodness, you two are getting strong.”

Her children beamed - and thankfully accepted Sabe’s help to actually get the tray _onto_ the bed. Then, the five of them settled in to eat, Luke and Leia eagerly taking turns holding up bite-sized pieces for Padme to take. Eirtae managed to prevent _too_ much mess getting transferred to the sheets, and at some point one of the kitchen staff briefly made an appearance with extra, much-needed napkins.

They’d just gotten down to the last few tidbits when a new voice spoke up from the doorway. “Whoops, looks like I missed the morning fun.”

“Auntie ‘Soka!” The twins cheered, scrambling to get down to the floor and race over. Ahsoka laughed, kneeling to let them jump onto her more easily. As two young voices rambled over one another on a variety of excited news and eager questions, the togruta stood back up to walk to the bedside, Leia and Luke easily hanging from her arms.

Padme smiled. “Hello, Ahsoka. There’s a little left, if you’d like...”

“Nah, I ate at on the way here, but thank you.” Sabe and Eirtae said their own greetings, before gathering up the used dishes and utensils and departing with the much lighter tray. Ahsoka dropped down onto the vacated spot, catching the twins with the Force when they bounced, triggering dual squeals of delight.

“I was worried, when you didn’t arrive last night,” Padme murmured, causing her younger friend to grimace.

“Heavy Imperial presence at the spaceport, unfortunately - I had to sneak off my ride, and skirt extra checkpoints just to get outside. Figured it would be safer to hike up here rather than risk public transport.” As she spoke, Ahsoka juggled the twins mid-air to keep them distracted. Leia kicked her feet while upside down, and blew her tongue at Luke as he managed a spin.

“That can’t be good. But I don’t know what would cause them to be so security conscious...”

“Important visitors incoming, maybe?”

“Possibly. I’ll see if my contacts in Theed know anything.” Padme’s lips twisted into a thoughtful frown. “It can’t be Palpatine, he insists on making a show of visiting Naboo, with weeks of advanced notice.”

Ahsoka nodded, and let the twins drift down to land on the mattress. Luke instantly bounded back up, throwing himself at the young woman’s shoulder. “Auntie, we gotta make a cake! A special one like you do!”

“Sure, Skykid, but what’s the occasion?”

“Everybody’s gonna be here! Me and Leia and you and Mama and Auntie Sabe and Auntie Eirtae and Ipu!”

Ahsoka abruptly stiffened. “What-?”

Luke nodded, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s the first time everybody’s here, and me ‘n Leia promised we’d make a cake!” He kept going, but Padme focused on the slight trembling that started up in Ahsoka’s limbs.

“Luke,” the togruta whispered. “How do you know your ipu’s coming?”

“He told us,” Leia piped up, lying draped across Padme’s legs. “When we were asleep. That’s how we always talk to him, but last night he said he’ll be here today and we’ll get to play while we’re awake.”

Concern growing into fear, Padme glanced between the three of them. “I don’t understand - I always thought ‘Ipu’ was a, an imaginary friend they’d made up.”

“If I may, Mistress,” Threepio said, “Ipu is the Amatakka word for Father.”

Amatakka.

The language used by the slaves of Tatooine.

_Anakin._

“No,” she breathed, eyes locking with Ahsoka’s. “Has he- this _whole time-?!”_

“I don’t know,” the other woman answered, her own terror replaced by anger in a snap. “But we need to leave. Now.”

“What-?” “But Auntie-!”

“Don’t argue, children,” Padme ordered, cutting off the whines. “Both of you, go with your aunt and do as she says. Get your shoes and coats, quickly.”

Frowning and thoroughly disgruntled, the twins nonetheless obeyed her, and hurried out of the bedroom. Ahsoka’s hands clenched and unclenched at her sides.

“Threepio,” Padme called. “Activate Protocol Clouded Pool. Accept instructions from Ahsoka as if they were my own, and keep the twins out of danger at all costs.”

The droid’s photoreceptors flickered blue for a moment before returning to normal. “Understood, Mistress.”

“Find Artoo, and share my orders with him. Safeguarding Luke and Leia is your primary directive now.”

As C-3PO walked out of the room, Ahsoka cast a wary glance at the older woman. “Clouded Pool?”

“An emergency failsafe. He isn’t allowed to discuss key words outside of a secure, private setting,” Padme explained. “And if captured, all information regarding the twins, you, and important others will be deleted.”

“...you don’t intend to come with us, do you.”

“No.” With a twisted smile, Padme glanced down at her prone body, hands laying atop the sheets where others had placed them for her. “I’d be dead weight. And besides, maybe I’ll be enough of a prize he won’t come after you and the children.” They both knew that hope to be untrue, but Ahsoka was kind enough not to call her on it.

“I’ll keep them safe,” the togruta promised.

“I know you will. And please, do your best to convince the staff members to leave - I don’t want anyone else getting caught up in this if at all possible.”

Ahsoka nodded - and suddenly snapped her eyes upwards, gaze going distant. “...I can feel him. Approaching. Not on planet, yet, but we won’t have much time.”

“Can he sense you? The twins-?”

“I’m a lot better shielded, and I can give them some cover.” Ahsoka darted forward for a quick hug, before sprinting towards the door. “May the Force be with you, Padme.”

“And with you,” she answered, adding in a whisper, “And with my babies.”

_-Ipu-_

Padme waited, alone but for LN-E45, who continued as ever to monitor her vital signs and provide adjustments so she didn’t develop bedsores. Some hours later, the sound of an approaching shuttle could be heard through the balcony doorway.

And not long after that, a pair of stormtroopers discovered her.

“Hands up,” one ordered, aiming his blaster towards Padme as the other checked the room.

“I’m afraid I can’t,” she replied, eyeing him coolly.

“My Mistress suffered a spinal injury some years ago,” Elenee hummed. “She is paralyzed from the neck down.”

The stormtroopers shared a glance. One tilted his head slightly, a familiar gesture indicating a comm call. Padme took a deep breath as she waited for the person whose presence he was no doubt requesting. A few minutes later, rasping breaths and heavy footsteps heralded said person’s arrival.

Darth Vader swept through the door with all the impressive weight of an incoming thunderstorm, dark and grim and roiling with power. Padme stared at him with a flat, half-lidded gaze, unwilling to let the slightest emotion of her own leak to the surface.

The Sith Lord stopped beside her bed. Even with the helmet, and the thick red lenses, she could feel his stare. Once, its weight had seemed a comfort.

“Leave us,” Vader ordered. In seconds, the pair of stormtroopers slipped out into the hall, shutting the door behind them. “You’re alive.”

Padme arched an eyebrow. “Despite your best efforts.”

He flinched at that, one gloved hand coming up - only to clench shut and jerk back down. “It was not my intention to-”

“To what? To choke me? To hurt me? To leave me alive to curse you for it?”

“Angel-”

 **“NO.”** She thundered. “That is _not_ something _you_ get to call me.”

“...Padme,” he tried again. “I was not- in my right mind, on Mustafar. I _know_ you never would have betrayed me like that. I _know_ you still-”

“Be very careful with your next words, Lord Vader, for they may not be as true as you think,” Padme interrupted coldly. He flinched again, and part of her wondered at being able to hold such power over one of the strongest people in the galaxy. Another part, though, just felt sad. “Why are you here?”

He took a long moment before answering. “I came for you and the children.”

Shutting her eyes, Padme released a long, slow breath. She couldn’t deny knowledge of the twins, not when they’d so clearly been sharing dreams with their- “Why do they call you Ipu?”

“I asked them too,” Vader answered. “Once they became old enough to speak, I didn’t want to risk them giving me away.”

Her eyes flew open. _Old enough to speak._ “You’ve been invading their dreams for a long time, then.”

 _“They_ are the ones who come to _me,”_ he insisted, hands rising before he forced them back down to his sides. “I thought I was going insane, dreaming every night of them, of the babies we could have had... and then there came a morning when I awoke, and realized a connection remained in the Force, more real than any dream.”

The man fell silent for several moments. His helmet shifted, glancing around the room, before focusing back on Padme. She didn’t bother to look up at him.

“You knew we were coming. Or else the house wouldn’t be empty.”

“Perhaps I just like the solitude,” she countered.

“Where are Luke and Leia, Padme?”

When he said their names, what little strength she’d been clinging to vanished, and a great weariness entered her voice. “Gone. Away from you. I don’t know where.”

“It’s not safe-”

 _“Anywhere_ is safer than the clutches of a Dark Lord! Or can you honestly tell me you _wouldn’t_ start training them, _twisting_ them until they broke?” She turned her gaze up towards the red lenses of his mask, desperate, angry tears threatening to break free. “They’re _six,_ Anakin! They deserve hugs and kisses and bedtime stories, to be rocked back to sleep after a nightmare, to have bathtime with, with bubbles a-and toys, to- to-”

A gloved hand gently touched her cheek, and she squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to look at Vader as if he were still Anakin. Still her husband. Still someone she loved.

“They would be safer with me than if Palpatine gets them,” the man said. His vocalizer didn’t allow for softness, but the hand carefully cupping one side of her face spoke worlds.

Padme kept crying. Vader waited a few minutes, but when it became obvious she didn’t intend to stop any time soon, he summoned the pair of stormtroopers back in to give orders for their departure. Others came in and out of the bedroom, retrieving clothes, personal belongings, even Elenee, once she’d been powered down. Only after everything was packed away did Vader kneel to scoop Padme into his arms.

She glared at him through teary eyes. “No- an anti-grav stretcher, in the hall closet-”

“This is the closest I’ve been to you in six years, Padme,” he said, cutting her off for a change. “And I’m not letting go again _any_ time soon.”


End file.
